Spring Frost
by cakelesspixels
Summary: Jack Frost has a chance encounter with the May Queen.


"Bunny, don't take it so personally."

Bunny gave an annoyed huff. "You agreed you wouldn't pull a stunt like this again!"

"I couldn't resist," he said. "It's not like it's a blizzard. It's just a dusting."

"I don't care what you want to call it," Bunny said. "I don't need you causing me more trouble than you already have."

The two of them had a better understanding since they worked together to defeat Pitch. It didn't change the fact that the two of them still clashed at times. Bunny was far more serious than Jack and Jack was doing his best to change that. Bunny didn't seem to appreciate Jack's attempts.

Before Jack could say anything further, he noticed that his light dusting of snow was creeping away. The snow turned to water that melted into the ground.

"Looks like you came to your senses," Bunny said.

"I didn't do that," Jack admitted. He couldn't take credit for the melting snow. He had assumed Bunny had some hand in it before the pooka said something about it.

"You didn't...?" Bunny's ears perked up as he looked about. "May," he said with a grin. "At least that's one person I can always count on."

"May?" Jack thought for a moment. "Wait, you mean the May Queen?"

Jack Frost had never seen the May Queen in person. Spring had always been Bunny's thing and Bunny had never said much about her. Jack wasn't sure if there was a reason for that. Although he assumed if Bunny had anything negative to say, he would have heard about it by now.

They were suddenly interrupted by the sound of a woman's voice. "That's exactly who he means."

Jack turned to see the spring spirit in question. The May Queen stood only a few feet from them. Her accent confirmed her British roots. Golden hair fell past her shoulders in a loose curl while a flower crown sat upon her head; it was adorned with jasmine and peach colored Juliet roses. She was young. Physically, she was around Jack's age. From what he understood, she was technically much older than himself. She must have been seventeen or eighteen the year she became the May Queen.

"Jack Frost," she said. "I've heard so much about you."

"All of it good, I hope," Jack said.

"Most of what I heard was from Bunny."

Jack playfully cringed. "Ouch."

"He does let a compliment slip out every now and again."

"I don't recall that ever happening," Bunny said.

May smiled at Bunny's protest. "Bunny, you should get back to work, hm? I'll talk to Jack."

Bunny nodded. "I'll check in with you later, May. As for you." Bunny pointed at the winter spirit. "I don't want any more trouble out of you."

Jack didn't have a chance to defend himself. In the blink of an eye, Bunny had taken off to get back to work. Thanks to Jack's shenanigans, he was behind and he needed to get back on track. Jack Frost and the May Queen stood alone in the grassy field. There wasn't a soul around for miles.

She turned her attention back to Jack, still smiling as she spoke. "Jack, why do you insist on tormenting that poor rabbit?"

"I'm not tormenting him!" Jack insisted. "I just wanted to give him a little dose of fun."

"As much as I appreciate that, maybe you should let us handle spring?"

"You say that like I'm trying to steal it from you."

"We're trying to get our work done," she said. "And your idea of fun doesn't seem to be meshing with ours."

"Right." He nodded. "Your thing is dancing around a pole with a bunch of ribbon, isn't it?"

"It's not just dancing around a pole," she protested. "There's all sorts of dancing and celebrating."

He chuckled. "Oh, of course there is."

"I wouldn't expect you to understand spring traditions," she said.

"Aw, don't be like that," Jack said. "I just might start to think you're as big of a killjoy as Bunny."

"You hardly even know...Oh, I get it." She smirked. "You're baiting me."

"Baiting you?" Jack asked, feigning shock at the accusation. "No. It's just that, maybe, you springtime folks don't fully appreciate the beauty of winter. It's like spring makes you forget how to just enjoy life."

"That's not true," May said. "Spring can be just as enchanting as your winter can."

"Is that an invitation to see a display of power?"

"Yes and no," she said. "I'm letting nature speak for itself." With the quick wave of her hand, the flower buds around them began to bloom. It was a beautiful array of colors. Jack's eyes practically sparkled with excitement as he took it all in. For as much as he had teased the May Queen, he hadn't really meant any genuine ill will. Just because winter was the superior season didn't mean the others didn't have their good points. He turned back to her in time to see flowers slowly growing on the skirt of the May Queen's dress. It added much needed color to the otherwise plain white dress.

"Impressive."

Jack felt something creeping up his leg. He glanced down to see a small vine creeping up from the ground below him. Squinting at it in confusion, he was about to shake it off when it quickly grew. He felt his body being flung into the air with the vine still wrapped around his leg. He was high up in the air and looking down at May when it finally stopped. It took him a moment to get his bearings. He realized that the vine was dangling him several feet off the ground. The plant had a firm hold on him so it was unlikely that it was going to let him go any time soon.

"What the...?"

"You're not the only one with some tricks up their sleeve, Jack Frost," she teased.

Jack started to laugh. "Well played," he said. "Now, uh, how about getting me down?"

"I think you can handle that on your own," she said. "You're a smart boy."

He watched as the May Queen turned her back to him to walk away. It didn't take long for Jack to realize she was really going to leave him there. After a few seconds of stunned silence, he started to laugh again.

"Next time we meet," he called out. He wanted her to hear him before she was completely out of sight. "I'll show you what _I_ can do."

"I'm sure you will," she said. She snapped her fingers and she was engulfed by flowers. The flowers sunk into the ground and took the May Queen with them. He didn't know where she had gone, but he doubted she was going to return.

Turning his attention back to the vine, he gave it a quick zap from his staff. When the vine wrapped around his leg was frozen, he was able to snap it off to escape. He safely landed on the ground and looked toward the direction the May Queen had left. Maybe the springtime spirits weren't such killjoys after all. Looking at the field of freshly sprung flowers, he spotted a rose only a few inches from his left foot. It was slightly out of place in the field of poppies and gerbera, but it resembled the roses that adorned her crown and dress.

He plucked it from the field to hold it in his hands. Ice gently encased the peach-colored flower to give it a beautiful layer of frost. It was a perfect mixture of spring and winter in one flower. Next time, he promised himself. He'd repay the favor to the May Queen.


End file.
